Opposition presses government on US third-country nationals deal as parliament erupts

Parliamentary opposition figures are pushing back against the Jamaican government's decision to accept third-country nationals deported from the United States, arguing the country should not shoulder a problem that originates abroad.

Opposition spokesman on national security Fitz Jackson said there remain more questions than answers about negotiations with the Trump administration to take in non-Jamaican nationals arrested by US authorities. Minister of National Security Dr. Harris Chang confirmed in a Tuesday statement that Jamaica has agreed to accept third-country nationals from the United States. Washington has been pressing several governments to receive immigrants who are in the US illegally, including some convicted of serious offences, and a number of countries have declined.

Jackson questioned why Jamaica would become involved. "Currently in the United States, we hear daily about ICE rounding up person and deporting them. Is it in Jamaica's interest to get entwined, entangled in all of this circumstances or situation in the US for which we have no part? Why is it that the government is tying Jamaica to these external problems that we don't have any bearing on? I would like answers for those questions," he said. He warned that detainees would be hosted in Jamaica at a time when the General Penitentiary, built for roughly 700 inmates, holds more than 1,000, and St. Catherine prison is also overcrowded. He urged the government to say no when Jamaicans' interests are at stake and to make public whatever arrangements are being contemplated.

Wednesday's sitting of the House of Representatives grew heated after Dr. Chang addressed the memorandum of understanding on accommodating third-country nationals. Speaker Juliet Holness called a five-minute recess after proceedings descended into cross-talk. She said Dr. Dayton Campbell, member of parliament for Westmoreland Western, was defying her rulings by repeating the same question. Prime Minister Andrew Holness could be heard off microphone telling Campbell, "You are a bully," on several occasions.

Opposition members led by opposition leader Mark Golding and Jackson pressed Chang on the benefits to Jamaica, the motivation behind the MOU, whether the country was coerced into the agreement, whether third-country nationals would be free to move about, and whether Haitians and Cubans would be treated differently. When Campbell again raised the Cuba question after being directed to move on, his microphone was cut. On resumption, Chang told the House that third-country nationals would not be incarcerated and would be allowed to move freely in Jamaica, that they would be properly vetted, and that they could apply for asylum. He said the MOU was signed last Thursday and that its details would not be tabled in Parliament.

Separately, the Jamaica Constabulary Force has stepped up islandwide road enforcement, deploying breathalysers and speed radar devices. Deputy Superintendent of Police Marcus Graham, operations officer for the traffic enforcement division, said more than 7,000 breathalyser tests have been conducted since 1 January, up from 4,000 in the same period last year, with 70 positive results leading to arrests and charges. Graham said the force is aiming for fewer than 300 motor vehicle accidents in 2026, with particular attention on Westmoreland, Hanover, Manchester, and St. Elizabeth.

In St. Elizabeth, 29-year-old labourer Dante Bent of L77 Elm Street, Olive Park, Santa Cruz, is facing gun-related charges after police carried out a targeted operation at his home about 7:45 a.m. on Sunday. Armed with a search warrant, officers reportedly found a metal safe in the kitchen containing a silver-coloured Smith and Wesson magazine with three 9mm cartridges. Bent was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and unauthorised possession of ammunition and is expected to appear in court at a later date.